Thalia Grace : Before and After HalfBlood Hill
by Devastate
Summary: This is a story about Thalia Grace, daughter of Zeus. Before being brought to Half-Blood Hill, and her doom, by the satyr Grover, she spent a while on the run with Luke Castellan and Annabeth Chase, two other heroes. In the very end, she becomes a Hunter.


Luke threw out his arm, holding Thalia back; both the half-bloods were intently watching a quivering board in the alleyway in which they stood. They had spent day after day on the run, fighting the monsters from Greek 'mythology' left and right. This was just another night; another grim night spent trying to survive.

"We don't know what that is," muttered Luke. Both he and Thalia were lean, experienced, and armed, but they were weak and tired from the hellhound attack that had awaited them that sunrise. "A young hellhound, or—"

"We have to find out," Thalia insisted. Her hair and clothes were black and ragged in a part-Goth and part-punk style. She appeared to be around twelve years old, while Luke looked fourteen. "It'll just jump out if we—"

Before either of them could move, the board was flung aside by the inhabitant of the shadowy corner—a small girl. The smeared and dirty face gaped up at them, half afraid and half defiant. "No more monsters! Go away!" Without hesitation she lunged forward, brandishing a hammer.

As fast as thought, Luke grabbed her wrist. The hammer clanged across the empty street, and Thalia flinched. As least there had been rain yesterday; the raindrops from that storm could have decreased any sound the half-bloods made.

"Thalia, put your shield up!" Luke said. "You're scaring her."

Thalia had unconsciously taken out Aegis, the shield given to her by Athena, goddess of wisdom, modeled after the shield carried by Zeus, king of the gods. As soon as Thalia withdrew the shield, the girl opened her eyes and gazed up at Luke, obviously still afraid.

"We're not monsters, you know," Luke soothed. "But we know plenty about them. We fight them, too."

"You're… like me?" said the girl suspiciously. Her wrist quivered in Luke's grip.

Thalia nodded. "We're… monster-fighters, I guess you could say. What's your name?"

"Annabeth."

"Tell, you what, Annabeth." Luke reached inside his torn jacket and pulled out a golden knife. He held it up, letting the moonbeams and wet street reflect off its blade. "How would you like your own weapon? Celestial bronze is stronger than plain metals. That hammer won't do anything against a monster. But knives are only for the cleverest fighters. I have a feeling you're pretty clever."

Annabeth beamed. "I am."

He handed her the knife, and she gripped the hilt.

Thalia watched her curiously; not many young children would be prepared to fight with a weapon.

"Do you know who your Greek parent is?" asked Thalia.

"My father told me about her," said Annabeth. "Athena, goddess of wisdom." She stood up straighter. In the moonlight, her steely gray eyes were thrown into shine. "He said that Athena should have raised me on Mount Olympus, and that he didn't want me. He and his new wife have two new children, and I put them in danger whenever monsters come. So I ran away."

"Don't feel bad. Athena couldn't have raised any daughter or son on Olympus," Thalia said. "She has other matters."

"That's what she told Dad," replied Annabeth stoutly. "But he didn't take her wisdom."

"Ironic," said Luke dryly. "But, really, we need to get under cover. I have no idea what sorts of things could be lurking here."

"Does it matter?" growled Thalia. "We can't survive forever. There isn't a safe place for us."

"Come on. Think of Annabeth," Luke sighed. He took the little girl's hand. "We built a demigod hideout near here a few weeks ago. We all need to rest."

"How far do we have to walk?" whimpered Annabeth. "I already came miles."

"Not far; not even one mile," replied Thalia. She ran her hand through Annabeth's hair. "You look tough, I'm sure you can make it."

In no less than three quarters of an hour, with Annabeth's exhaust and the older demigods' old injuries, they reached a hideout that looked something like a burrow. Its entrance was woven with a ring of grasses, sticks, and mud, and a black tunnel stretched into nothingness inside the hole in the ground.

Annabeth was the first to scamper inside; Thalia followed her, and then Luke crawled in. The tunnel opened up into a dark, wet chamber, packed full of demigod supplies: rations, weapons, ambrosia and nectar. Thalia tapped Aegis, and it spiraled back into the bracelet on her arm. Annabeth, following her example, gingerly tucked her knife away into a pocket.

"You want a coat, Annabeth?" Luke said softly, his eyes unreadable.

"Yes," she said, putting on the ragged rain jacket he gave to her from a pile of clothing near the back of the chamber.

"I'll take first watch," Thalia volunteered. "Annabeth needs to sleep and you, Luke, you haven't slept for days!"

"Neither have you." Luke tried to argue, but it was quite obvious that he was in far worse condition than Thalia, who'd grown up on minimal sleep.

Thalia climbed back up the tunnel, stopping several inches short of the large rock Luke must have put over the opening. She lay on her stomach, resting her chin on her hands. Smelling the mud and hearing the silence of the night put her at a peculiar peace, and she was soon drifting off into an unwilling sleep.

"Half-bloods inside, my lady," said a girl's voice in a strange accent. "Two maidens and one boy."

Thalia was shivering. She had never had any problems while keeping watch; all of the monsters seemed to prefer to bother Luke.

The rock crackled on the pebbles outside as it was shifted.

"Luke," she cried. Thalia heard a surprised shout from Annabeth as Luke came lurching up to join her, the sleep still visible in his eyes.

"Show yourself!" he yelled at the half-moved rock.

He and Thalia gasped at the same moment as two girls came into view: one looked about twelve years old, with auburn hair, and the other was around sixteen, and had a silver circlet braided into hers.

"Half-bloods?" inquired the auburn-haired girl. "Zoё, do not harm the boy."

"What do you want?" snarled Luke. The caring smile he had worn for Annabeth was long gone.

The older girl nocked an arrow, but the girl who had spoken held her back. "I told you, Zoё. He doesn't know who we are."

"Who are you, then?" Thalia demanded. "What do you want from us?"

"I am Artemis," the younger girl told him. "Goddess of the Hunt."

"So what do you want with us?" said Luke, unimpressed. "Still recruiting, are you? We're not interested."

"Of course _you _aren't," spat Zoё. She turned pointedly to Thalia. "I sensed the presence of maidens in this area. You have the makings of a true Hunter of Artemis. Will you join us?"

"What?" Thalia looked dazed.

"You would have a new family, many friends," pressed Zoё. "A great destiny. And, most of all, immortality."

"I—immortality?"

"Yes," said Zoё.

"Thalia, no!" Luke put his hand on her shoulder, turning her toward him. "Thalia, don't go. I need you. I can't do this alone."

"You have Annabeth," said Thalia faintly. Her eyes bore a faraway expression, as if she were considering Zoё's offer. She looked at Artemis. "Would you allow it?"

"Of course. I admire your courage and skill."

"Thalia!" said Luke angrily.

She closed her eyes. "What about Luke?" she asked Artemis.

"He cannot join. He is a boy."

"No, I mean… I don't think I could be without him."

"Boys!" interjected Zoё loudly. "They are never true to their word. They will always let you down."

"Luke wouldn't…"

"No boy is trustworthy," said Zoё. She suddenly looked much less warmly at Thalia than she did before. "Join us. Other girls will be company enough, I promise."

"I can't," replied Thalia firmly. "I know what I want."

"Then you are a fool," said Zoё suddenly. She turned on her heel and marched away.

"I don't blame you," conceded Artemis. "But I have a feeling we will meet soon."

As Artemis changed into her divine form, Luke gently turned Thalia's face away from the goddess; if she saw her true godly form, she would be turned to dust.

"She wasn't worth it," he murmured quietly, taking her hand.

"I know that!" Thalia glared at him, eyes blazing. "But this is more of a family than I've ever known, and I don't ever want to lose it. You and Annabeth—I'd die for you guys."

"Well," Luke rose onto his hands and knees abruptly. "It's sunrise. We should wake Annabeth and carry on."


End file.
